DPU Consumer Division contact information
If your service has been shut off, or is about to be shut off, or if you need help resolving a problem with your utility bill, call the Department of Public Utilities’ (DPU) Consumer Division at (617) 737-2836 or toll-free at (877) 886-5066. You can also reach the DPU by email at DPUConsumer.Complaints@mass.gov.
Assistance paying home energy bills
Massachusetts Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
HEAP helps income-eligible individuals and families with the cost of heating their homes during the winter season. The online application opens annually on October 1 for the upcoming heating season. If you are a first-time applicant, you can apply in person at a local agency in your area or online. You will receive an application in the mail in subsequent years, and you can reapply by mail or online.
If you are denied assistance, you have the right to appeal through your local agency. For more information you can:
- visit the HEAP website,
- call the state hotline for social service programs by dialing 211, or
- call the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) Heatline at (800) 632-8175.
Arrearage management programs
Arrearage management programs provide financial assistance to income-eligible customers with active utility accounts that have outstanding or past due bills. Eligibility is limited to customers who have a minimum outstanding balance of $300 at least 60 days past due. When enrolled customers make a monthly payment, a portion of their past due balance will be eliminated or “forgiven,” reducing the amount they owe.
Additional information is available on the utilities’ respective websites:
Other assistance
If you do not qualify for the programs above, you may be eligible for help from the Salvation Army's Good Neighbor Energy Fund, which offers one-time grants to consumers. Visit the Salvation Army’s Good Neighbor Energy Fund website to learn about the program and review the income eligibility guidelines.
To apply, contact your local Salvation Army Corps Community Center.
- If you live in area codes 508, 617, 781, or 978, call (800) 334-3047
- If you live in area code 413, call (800) 262-1320
Reducing monthly bill payment amount
Discount rates
What is a discount rate?
If you are an income-eligible electric or gas customer, you may qualify for a discount rate from your utility.
Starting November 1, 2026, the amount of your discount will depend on:
- Your household income
- The number of people in your household
- Your electric or gas company
- Your rate class
If you already receive a discount, you do not need to do anything. You will automatically receive the new discount rate.
Who can get a discount?
You may qualify for a discount rate if you receive public benefits from programs such as:
- ConnectorCare plan, types 1 and 2
- Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC)
- Fuel assistance or HEAP
- Health Safety Net – primary or secondary
- Head Start
- MassHealth - basic or standard (i.e., Medicaid)
- National School Lunch Program
- Public or subsidized housing
- Refugee resettlement benefits
- School Breakfast Program
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps)
- Supplemental Security Income
- Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
- Veteran Financial Benefits (MASSVETS)
- Veterans dependency & indemnity compensation for surviving parent or spouse
- Veterans non-service-connected disability pension
- Women, Infants & Children (WIC)
Eligibility for the discount rate is not limited to the programs listed above. You can also enroll through your local Community Action Agency (CAA). Find your CAA on the Massachusetts Association for Community Action webpage.
Income-eligible tiered discount rates starting November 1, 2026
These discount rates are not final. The discount rates shown below are pending final approval in company-specific tariffs by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities for effect November 1, 2026. The final discounts may be different from the amounts shown on this page. The approved discounts will be reviewed in 1 year and may change in the future.
Explanation of tiers
There are 6 discount levels, called tiers. Your tier is based on your household income and the number of people in your household. The lowest-income households are in Tier 1 and receive the largest discounts. As household income increases, the discount gets smaller.
The income limits for each tier are:
Tier 1: Up to 100% federal poverty level (FPL)
Tier 2: More than 100% and less than or equal to 125% of the FPL
Tier 3: More than 125% and less than or equal to 150% of the FPL
Tier 4: More than 150% and less than or equal to 175% of the FPL
Tier 5: More than 175% and less than or equal to 200% of the FPL
Tier 6: More than 200% and less than or equal to 60% of the statewide median income
Your discount also depends on your utility company and rate class. Use the tables below to find the proposed discount for your tier.
Electric companies
| Company | Rate class | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 | Tier 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eversource | R-2, R-2HP (heat pump) | 89% | 63% | 55% | 47% | 38% | 25% |
| Eversource | R-4 (electric heating, non heat pump) | 92% | 74% | 68% | 62% | 56% | 40% |
| National Grid | R-2, R-2HP (heat pump) | 91% | 69% | 62% | 56% | 49% | 29% |
| Unitil | RD-2, HP-RES IE (heat pump) | 91% | 70% | 64% | 57% | 50% | 32% |
Some customers will get a lower discount under the tiered discount rates than they currently do. Your discount will go down slowly over time, if your new discount starting November 1, 2026 is less than:
- 42% for Eversource customers
- 32% for National Grid customers
- 40% for Unitil customers
If this applies to you:
- You will keep your current discount through April 30, 2027.
- After that, your discount may go down once every 6 months.
- Each time, your discount will go down by no more than 5 percentage points.
- This will continue until you reach your new discount amount.
Gas companies
| Company | Rate class | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 | Tier 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Gas | R-2 (non-heating) | 90% | 67% | 59% | 52% | 45% | 24% |
| Berkshire Gas | R-4 (heating) | 87% | 55% | 45% | 35% | 25% | 15% |
| Eversource (EGMA) | R-2 (non-heating) | 91% | 71% | 64% | 58% | 51% | 33% |
| Eversource (EGMA) | R-4 (heating) | 90% | 66% | 58% | 51% | 43% | 22% |
| Eversource (NSTAR Gas) | R-2 (non-heating) | 94% | 79% | 75% | 70% | 65% | 52% |
| Eversource (NSTAR Gas) | R-4 (heating) | 89% | 63% | 55% | 46% | 38% | 15% |
| National Grid Gas | R-2 (non-heating) | 90% | 65% | 57% | 49% | 42% | 20% |
| National Grid Gas | R-4 (heating) | 87% | 56% | 46% | 36% | 26% | 15% |
| Liberty Utilities | R-2 (non-heating) | 93% | 75% | 70% | 64% | 59% | 43% |
| Liberty Utilities | R-4 (heating) | 90% | 66% | 58% | 50% | 43% | 21% |
| Unitil | R-2 (non-heating) | 95% | 83% | 79% | 75% | 71% | 60% |
| Unitil | R-4 (heating) | 91% | 69% | 63% | 56% | 49% | 30% |
Some customers will get a discount of less than 25% under the tiered discount rates. If this applies to you, your discount will go down slowly over time.
- You will keep your 25% discount through April 30, 2027.
- After that, your discount may go down once every 6 months.
- Each time, your discount will go down by no more than 5 percentage points.
- This will continue until you reach your new discount amount.
How to apply or get help
In addition to your local CAA, you can also contact your gas or electric company to apply or learn more about the discount rates.
Budget billing
You can enroll in budget billing, a program in which your gas or electric company estimates your annual energy usage, divides that projected cost into 12 equal monthly payments, and bills you the same amount each month. The benefits of budget billing are to:
- Avoid seasonal bill hikes
- Make household budgeting easier
- Know how much your bill will be each month.
In the 12th month, the company will reconcile your bill based on your actual usage. You will receive a credit (if you overpaid) or a bill (if you underpaid). Energy prices and/or lifestyle changes may cause a change in your monthly budget payment. Your budget amount is reviewed every 3 months and adjusted if needed. Budget billing is open to all customers, and is not income-dependent. However, some utility companies do not allow customers with past due balances to enroll. Contact your utility company for more information or to enroll in budget billing:
Payment plan
If you are struggling to pay your monthly energy bills and have a past due balance, a payment plan can help catch you up. Once enrolled, you will pay off overdue charges by making a set monthly payment in addition to your current bill. Contact your gas or electric company to set up a payment plan:
Community shared solar
You may be able to participate in a community solar program to lower your electric bill. Community solar, also known as community shared solar, allows consumers who are unable to install solar on their properties access to solar energy through community solar farms. If you are a community shared solar subscriber, you receive net metering credits or offsets towards your electric bill. These credits can range from 5-20% in annual savings. You can join a community shared solar facility as long as the project is not fully subscribed. Visit MassCEC’s community solar webpage to learn more and to find community shared solar projects in Massachusetts.
Review electric supply options
In Massachusetts, you can choose who provides your electric supply as long as you do not live in a municipality that is served by a municipal light plant. You can choose:
- basic service offered by your electric company,
- municipal aggregation if you live in a town that offers it, or
- a competitive supply product offered by a competitive supplier.
Depending on your choice, you can affect your monthly bill in meaningful ways, and it pays to consider your options. Consumers should review the supply rates available to them. If you do not want to monitor your bill and the rate you will pay, the basic service or municipal aggregation option (if it is available to you) may be your best options.
- Basic service: Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil offer basic service rates to consumers that do not have a municipal aggregation or competitive supply product. Basic service is a commodity purchased on the open market every 6 months for residential customers. Consumers are charged the cost of basic service for their electricity supply. Your electric company does not make any profit from the basic service procurement. Visit the DPU’s basic service information and rates to learn more.
- Municipal aggregation: Municipal aggregation is the process by which a municipality (meaning a town or city) purchases electricity in bulk from a competitive supplier on behalf of the residents and businesses within the community. Municipal aggregation plans offer competitive rates for electricity supply and usually last longer than the 6-month basic service rate that residential customers receive. If you live in a city or town that has municipal aggregation, you may already be enrolled. View the list of cities and towns that offer municipal aggregations. You can also learn more about municipal aggregation on the municipal aggregation webpage.
- Competitive supply: Competitive suppliers offer a range of energy supply products in Massachusetts. Selecting a competitive supplier might save you money but you are not guaranteed savings relative to municipal aggregation or basic service. If you are currently using a competitive supplier, or if you are considering doing so, visit the DPU’s Energy Switch webpage to compare competitive supply products. Before signing up, be sure to understand:
- Whether you are signing up for a fixed or variable rate,
- What happens at the end of your contract,
- Whether there are any early termination fees.
- At the end of your initial contract, it is important that you review the next rate that you will pay since competitive suppliers often increase the rate at that point.
- While the DPU licenses competitive suppliers, we do not oversee or regulate how they set their supply product prices. If you have an issue with your competitive electricity supplier, please contact the DPU’s Consumer Division.
- To learn more about competitive supply, visit the Competitive electric supply product overview webpage.
Other resources regarding your utility bill
- Help saving energy: Information on steps you can take to reduce your energy usage, which will reduce your bill
- Know your rights as a utility consumer: Information about the residential service shut‑off moratorium, billing and termination regulations, competitive supply rights, and electric sub-metering
- Understanding your electric bill: Information about the different charges on your electric bill and sample bills
- Understanding your gas bill: Information about the different charges on your gas bill and sample bills
- Massachusetts 2-1-1: Resources for utility assistance, food security, and more
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| Last updated: | September 25, 2026 |
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